7 day vs 14 day Pass - Not sure which to get

Hi,
A 14 day pass would not pay off. A 7 day from days 12 or 13 to 18 would work out well, though, and you can take the Narita Express on the JR Pass. On July 4th you could possibly use a [Keisei/Metro] package, or use a 1000 yen bus and 3 day subway pass. There are regional passes to Hakone, the Fuji 5 Lakes area, and Nikko.
Nara is well worth seeing - the best of the city is in Nara Park, with the hungry deer, the Todaiji Great Buddha, Kasuga Shrine, Kofukuji Temple, Yoshikien and Isuien Gardens. In Kyoto the JR Pass is of limited use, but you could use it to to see the Fushimi Inari Shrine as well as getting to Arashiyama.

Hi and thank you so much for your reply!

I have heard there are problems in the Hakone area due to seismic/volcanic activity. Is this going to make the trip not worth it? I know it's just the ropeway and they have a substitute bus, but do you think the bus will add a significant amount of travel time and make it difficult to do a day trip in Hakone? Also, what part of Hakone would you recommend staying in?

I also do not know how to get from Hakone to Fuji.. Can you make a recommendation on how to get there? Do know approximately how long it will take to get from Hakone to Fuji? If I get the Hakone Free Pass, will that cover my trip from Hakone to Fuji?

Thank you for your help!

Also, when I order the JR pass, how long will it take to ship to California?

Hi,
Is this going to make the trip not worth it? Ultimately this is a question that only you can decide; there are a lot of other good places within Hakone, but Owakudani is one of the more unique ones. You can still cover the area in a day if you wish; the substitute buses will bypass the area so you'd likely get a little more time for other sights there. For where to stay, I can't give any idea of what is best for your own tastes and budget, but you should be able to find something satisfying through engines like Jalan or Japanican
The Hakone Free Pass only covers transport in the Hakone area. For seeing both there and the Fuji 5 Lakes, there is the Odakyu Fuji Hakone Pass and to get Hakone-Fuji 5 Lakes, see here (be sure to click (to/from Fuji 5 Lakes from the drop down menu).

For delivery times, please see here.

Good luck.

Thank you for your replies. I have another question... What is the best way to get from Fuji to Nara, and is there a JR line I could use if I start my pass on this day?

Hi,
As for getting from Hakone to Nara, use the same link above and instead of to/from Fuji 5 Lakes, choose Kyoto. From Kyoto you can take a train to Nara. If from the to/from Fuji 5 Lakes area, click the same link to Kyoto from this page. If you didn't set up your pass yet, you can exchange your voucher for the pass at either Mishima or Odawara Stations.

Enjoy your trip.